Political ban and prison sentence requested for 12punto.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Büyüksipahi and Cumhuriyet reporter Nagihan Yılkın

In the third hearing of the criminal case filed against 12punto.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Büyüksipahi and Cumhuriyet newspaper reporter Nagihan Yılkın at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance, the prosecutor requested a political ban and a prison sentence ranging from 3 months to 2 years.

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Political ban and prison sentence requested for 12punto.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Büyüksipahi and Cumhuriyet reporter Nagihan Yılkın

12punto.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Büyüksipahi and Cumhuriyet newspaper reporter Nagihan Yılkın appeared today at the Istanbul 2nd Criminal Court of First Instance for the third hearing of the criminal case filed against them.

POLITICAL BAN AND PRISON REQUEST

The case was filed against Yılkın and 12punto.com.tr Editor-in-Chief Mustafa Büyüksipahi for reporting on a criminal complaint alleging that Gül, the former Governor of Gaziantep and current Governor of Istanbul, failed to combat a bribery network and allowed his staff to accept bribes following the last elections.

In the third hearing of the case held today, the prosecutor reiterated their opinion on the merits. In the opinion, it was requested that Yılkın and Büyüksipahi be given a political ban and a prison sentence of 3 months to 2 years on the grounds that the statements in the news report subject to the case were "intended to damage the complainant's reputation in society, and in this context, the legal elements of the crime of insult were formed."

The journalists' lawyer requested time to prepare a defense on the merits. Accepting the lawyers' request for time to prepare their defense, the court adjourned the hearing to February 15, 2024.

SUPPORT FROM OKUYAN

Communist Party of Turkey General Secretary Kemal Okuyan expressed his reaction to the decision via his social media account.

Okuyan stated the following:

"A prison sentence and a political ban are being requested for Nagihan Yılkın and Mustafa Büyüksipahi for reporting on a criminal complaint. It is not bribery that is a crime, but the news of bribery; not murder, but the news of murder; not corruption, but the news of corruption. Oh, and calling Vahideddin a traitor is also a crime!"

Bir suç duyurusunu haberleştirdikleri için Nagihan Yılkın ve Mustafa Büyüksipahi için hapis cezası ve siyasi yasak isteniyor. Rüşvet değil rüşvetin haberi, cinayet değil cinayetin haberi, yolsuzluk değil yolsuzluğun haberi suç. Ha bir de Vahidettin’e hain demek suç!
— Kemal Okuyan (@OkuyanKemal) December 5, 2023